Important Information and Q&A!

[Dervish]

Are MTV trailer adverts in the UK supposed to be in French?

 

[Deathsprit]

Thanks Magnus for replying.

i no u have put "Open Beta access to all CE Pre-Order customers (to be announced)"

but i was woundering if we start the OB at same time as US doz that mean that they will have a full day and we get half a day, lets say they start OB at 9am in US, would we start are OB at 5pm in UK coz of the time difference?

 

[JeevesFan]

So, no interesting news today after all?

Guys, we understand that plans change and sometimes you can't help it, but here's what you CAN help: communicate. You must know by now that a lot of your prospective customers are chomping at the bit for ANYTHING. It's obvious even if you only glance at all the disappointed people on here and other message boards.

Even a quick "sorry guys, we had something cool planned for today but it's been delayed for X amount of time" would've done wonders.

You're our only source of EU news, so come on. Throw us a bone here.

EDIT: I'm not angry, I'm not even that frustrated anymore. I'm just disappointment. Our American pals are full of excitement, we're hoping for even scraps of good news.

 

[Skorn]

Magnus, from your last post I gather that EU se pre-orders will be missing out on the open beta, is that correct and if so why?

compare US
Mythic Entertainment | Warhammer Online

and AUS
Welcome to GAME - The Next Level

:england:

 

[Xandax]

<snip>
We've also got some interesting announcements coming up tomorrow, so keep an eye on our website!


Blessings,
Magnus

These interesting announcements - where it the dropping of NDA or were they delayed due to the time of the NDA drop from Mythic?

 

[MagnusGOA]

Aah, the first day of non-NDA-edness has dawned!

So, no interesting news today after all?

Shortly after this was posted we too announced the drop of the NDA, as seen here. More major news should follow soon[FONT=&quot]™[/FONT]!

These interesting announcements - where it the dropping of NDA or were they delayed due to the time of the NDA drop from Mythic?

Dropping the NDA is arguably one of the most significant single piece of news in WAR's history. It mark a radical change in the way beta testers, non-beta testers, GOA and Mythic alike can approach this game.

Are MTV trailer adverts in the UK supposed to be in French?

GOA and EA Europe are not planning a hostile takeover of Britain. Not at all... In all frankness though, I don't know about this but naturally, if this is so I doubt it's intentional. We're making enquiries about this.

Magnus, from your last post I gather that EU se pre-orders will be missing out on the open beta, is that correct and if so why?

This is true, and is according to the plan. All along, Open Beta has been planned to include

• All current Beta testers
• CE Pre-Order customers
• Partner website invites
• Random invites and others

So whereas Standard Edition Pre-Order customers will gain access to the Live Head Start, they will not automatically gain access to the Open Beta. The primary reason for this is that the European market is more diverse and complex than its North American counterpart. By choosing to distribute the quite substantial number of spots we have allocated for Open Beta via partner websites programmes, we are able to tailor-suit invitations to a higher extent than we would be able to, were we to do as the Americans. More on all of this as we approach Open Beta, naturally.


Many vital questions asked here remain unanswered, but we're working on getting solid answers for you.



Peace, love and WAAAAGH!
-Magnus

 

[Paragon]

thanks Magnus

i lol'd at your trademarked "soon"

 

[JeevesFan]

Well, thanks for the info. I hope we hear more about the game sooner rather than later!

 

[Faya]

Yes thank you..when i copy/pasted your answers to WHA i got my first post done there! yay me!...and my first flame aswell!

Faya

 

[MagnusGOA]

Gladly, we can now share much more substantiated answers to the questions which has been circulating recently.


Will the Flash website be exchanged for an HTML-based website?
Whereas we have many improvements and new features coming up for our website, we will not be exchanging it for a HTML-based website for now.

Upcoming features include:

• Realm WAR pages
• New Account Management pages (will be online by the start of Open Beta)
• Web-Shop (will probably not be online by launch but it's coming)

Phew.. With that out of the way, please keep reading!


Will CE Pre-Order customers gain an extended head-start?
Yes. The final dates are almost but not quite set in stone. For certain, though, CE pre-order customers will have a somewhat longer Head Start than SE pre-order customers.


How many servers will there be for the Head Start? Will I be allocated a server, and if so, what happen if my non-Head Start friend want to play on the same server and it's full?
Players will not be allocated a server, but will be free to choose from the same selection of servers as will be available on Live Launch on September 18th. Naturally, we will be monitoring our servers intensely; if there is a need for more servers, we will plug in more of them from our stock. As of now, we cannot share any specific numbers on this.


When will the actual CE box be available in retailers for those who pre-ordered it?
September 18th.


Will EU SE pre-order customers get into WAR Open Beta?
No. This was a solution well suited for the American market, but less so Europe. With more diverse demographics, we have opted for a solution where we will be giving away 55 000 Open Beta keys through the EA Store and other community sites. This allow for a more focused approach, better suited the five-language market we operate in.


Will EU CE pre-order customers get into WAR Closed Beta?
No. When the Collector Edition pre-order program was designed last autumn, we decided to include Open Beta access as a bonus and we are sticking with this. Naturally, neither will SE pre-order customers.

Will there be a European Preview Weekend?
No. When the Preview Weekend was announced we were frankly caught by the bed. Our schedule leading up to Open Beta and Launch have included large scale testing all along, and a Preview Weekend event of sorts was never part of this plan. In the end, making such large scale changes with such short notice proved unrealistic.

Europeans will not be left in the dark, however. As we speak, WAR is being shown to approximately 200 000 people at the Games Convention, Leipzig.


When will the Open Beta start?
The EU Open Beta is scheduled to start September 7th. This is the date we have been working with for some time but naturally, anything can happen up until then.


Will we be able to download the Open Beta client in beforehand?
Yes. The client will be hosted from the EA Store from the first week of September.


Will WAR be localized in my language on launch?
Warhammer will be launched in Europe on September 18th in Italian, Spanish, German, French and English with 24/7 in-game support.


During EU Beta, servers have often been down during weekends, and with French labour laws in order, there has been no one there to fix them. How do you plan to meet this challenge?
The Closed Beta servers have indeed been hosted and maintained in France, thereby being subject to the infamous French labour laws. Again, the very reason we relocated to Dublin was so that we could get around this in preparation for WAR. The Live servers will be monitored 24/7 from Dublin.



I am very pleased to be able to share this with you and I hope our attempts to provide you with real answers to very real concerns is recognized and appreciated.



Love, peace and WAAAAGH!!
-Magnus

 

[Diggler]

less than a week to download the client? what if something goes wrong?
Also the way you worded it, it sounds like the account pages will come online when open beta starts. That can't be right surely?

 

[Xandax]

<snip>
I am very pleased to be able to share this with you and I hope our attempts to provide you with real answers to very real concerns is recognized and appreciated.



Love, peace and WAAAAGH!!
-Magnus

This time they are. While I do not agree with your planning or how you run many things (or that we'll not get a non-flash website soon, could we at least get a non-flash account page? ) - I'm pleased that you provide some real answers

Although I still think you should put much of this on to your web page, so people do not have to look through various forums. Easy for us cause we are here, but all the information regarding pre-orders etc belong on your website.....

But still thanks for some answers.

Would also like to re-ask a question: Any word on when you start releasing server names and amount so guilds can coordinate start up?

 

[Dervish]

Will current closed beta testers need to download the client for open beta or headstart or live or can the current beta build be patched?

 

[Jonnyrocker]

Hey there just a question?

I have bought the CE box and have a few questions.

1. Using the OE client can we use this client on the live servers since different postal companys take different amount of time to deliver things so that dont have to reinstall and patch things again.

2. Will there be room for UI mods to work on the UI?

A bit dissapointed that we dont get the same treatment that the us customers do but that has been voiced several times.

Regards JR

 

[Earl]

Will EU SE pre-order customers get into WAR Open Beta?
No. This was a solution well suited for the American market, but less so Europe. With more diverse demographics, we have opted for a solution where we will be giving away 55 000 Open Beta keys through the EA Store and other community sites. This allow for a more focused approach, better suited the five-language market we operate in.

Have I wasted £40 buying Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning? ?

I understand I am paying more for no box or cd, just a download, but thought I could get same benefits as CE, just no books etc. Will I have Beta access or not? Or does the 55k open beta keys refer to this product?

 

[Nate]

Will the Flash website be exchanged for an HTML-based website?
No

It's great you guys are finally answering these questions, it's not answers we want to hear but communication is at least starting to come about. However.

This is absolutely ridiculous, from day one we've been telling you to change it. Why not? WE DON'T WANT TO USE A FLASH WEB-SITE. How many times are we going to have to tell you to change it? How are we going to have the same level of support if you aren't going to be using the same system as your without doubt going to be using a FLASH based account system AGAIN!

I might seem pissed off about this, I am.

 

[LordjOX]

It's great you guys are finally answering these questions, it's not answers we want to hear but communication is at least starting to come about. However.

This is absolutely ridiculous, from day one we've been telling you to change it. Why not? WE DON'T WANT TO USE A FLASH WEB-SITE. How many times are we going to have to tell you to change it? How are we going to have the same level of support if you aren't going to be using the same system as your without doubt going to be using a FLASH based account system AGAIN!

I might seem pissed off about this, I am.

Yes.
I'm also frustrated that GOA does not use a simpler approach for their web-site. Or atleast give an alternative. It seems they have hired too many designers with no clue about web accessibility.

And imo it's not just about our "tick" vs. GOA that we think the Flash site (especially after using the DAoC one) is a bad approach, I'm more concerned that they make official EU community news site inaccessible for some users.

For interested people read: https://forums.freddyshouse.com/warhammer-308/230541-eu-site-not-working-correctly-2.html
And W3C has guidelines about accessible websites (which still can look good): Checklist of Checkpoints for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0

 

[MagnusGOA]

Would also like to re-ask a question: Any word on when you start releasing server names and amount so guilds can coordinate start up?

I'm afraid we can't share any server names at this point. On the topic of server types, we can, however. GOA will be offering the same server types as Mythic: Core, Open-RvR and RP-Core. This is still not fully set in stone and we may or may not offer RP-Open RVR as well. Please understand that this may change before Launch.

I have bought the CE box and have a few questions.

Using the OE client can we use this client on the live servers since different postal companys take different amount of time to deliver things so that dont have to reinstall and patch things again.

Firstly, I assume 'OE' is a typo and you mean 'OB' as in Open Beta. Whereas all characters will be wiped and the Open Beta servers closed before Head Start commence, I believe the OB client can be patched and used when we enter Head Start and Live. This is not 100% certain information and may change. On a related note though, I can confirm that Closed Beta players will be able to patch their way into Open Beta.

Have I wasted £40 buying Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning? ?

I understand I am paying more for no box or cd, just a download, but thought I could get same benefits as CE, just no books etc. Will I have Beta access or not? Or does the 55k open beta keys refer to this product?

As far as I am informed, there is no such thing as SE pre-order including Open Beta access. Both GOA and Mythic have stated this to be the case with the European market. I believe this is all a misunderstanding. How we will solve it, is another issue. We have engaged in discussion with EA regarding this.

 

[Earl]

As far as I am informed, there is no such thing as SE pre-order including Open Beta access. Both GOA and Mythic have stated this to be the case with the European market. I believe this is all a misunderstanding. How we will solve it, is another issue. We have engaged in discussion with EA regarding this.

Perhaps the solution is to give European players the same level of service as in NA.

If it is indeed the case that the SE won't be getting open beta access despite it being on EA website for several days then I think I'll be contacting them for a refund. Why on earth is it labelled at £40 if it is just a download with no added benefits?

I feel myself wanting to order the NA edition already.

 

[Downanael]

Why do you keep ignoring your coming customers in the website matter? If everyone keeps saying that they don't want unreliable site and you keep insisting it really don't give pretty good image for your customer service imo.

And yeah i'm pissed off,you don't even tell us why you are so keen on this matter.

 

[Torn]

As far as I am informed, there is no such thing as SE pre-order including Open Beta access. Both GOA and Mythic have stated this to be the case with the European market. I believe this is all a misunderstanding. How we will solve it, is another issue. We have engaged in discussion with EA regarding this.

Hi. I've registered just to post here, in astonishment. Lots of EU online retailers are advertising Open Beta access and headstart with their SE pre-orders, as well as items like the camp + spirit ring.

1) official EA UK store offering open beta and headstart. - "INCLUDES: OPEN BETA ACCESS - LIVE GAME HEADSTART 30 Day Free Subscription - Bonus Item Unlocks"

2) direct2drive - (which I've ordered) offering all 3.

If the OFFICIAL EA site and direct2drive (from what I understand, an exclusive partner with EA that offers one of the different in-game item rings) offer this, to the tens of thousands of European players that have undoubtedly ordered from these two sites... this seems to be a communications breakdown of monumental proportions between EA and the other retailers.

I'm sincerely hoping that GOA/Mythic can smooth this out, and as a gesture of goodwill invite the EU players with orders with d2d or EA into the open beta.

 

[Skorn]

Thanks for your answers so far Magnus, although most of them leave me somewhat dissapointed!
On another note, seems like EU se customers are getting a raw deal imo, but maybe thats just me being ..........damn ...thats the same note!

 

[Derian]

Well you answered my 1st question about the OB download. Couple of others:

I assume the link to the download will be provided once we enter our CE-preorder code?

Will you be updating the Account management before the 1st of September? So we may enter our Codes.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Skorn]

Magnus, does the Direct Download Pre-order of WAR (as opposed to SE) have access to the open beta as stated at EAstore and D2D?

 

[Linnet]

Will it be required to actually order the standard edition via the EA store to get open beta access?

(if so, that's extremely lame of them.)

 

[Torn]

Will it be required to actually order the standard edition via the EA store to get open beta access?

(if so, that's extremely lame of them.)

Nope - they've said above that as far as they are concerned, none of the EU Standard Edition pre-orders will have Open Beta access. :s... but whether this includes the direct download (it IS a SE.. after all..) who knows?

The sites say it does (and various UK laws say they have to honour this or offer a full refund) but :\

 

[Malcolm]

Surely the following earlier post from MagnusK suggests that some of the OB keys will be coming via the EA Store?

Will EU SE pre-order customers get into WAR Open Beta?
No. This was a solution well suited for the American market, but less so Europe. With more diverse demographics, we have opted for a solution where we will be giving away 55 000 Open Beta keys through the EA Store and other community sites. This allow for a more focused approach, better suited the five-language market we operate in.

 

[Torn]

Hmm. Depends if 'Direct2Drive' counts as a community site?

I assumed community sites would be ones like these, which would have giveaways or competitions, etc. Surely direct2drive is just an 'online retailer'?

 

[Dervish]

Maybe D2D counts as part of EA store since it is effectively the download arm of EA?

 

[Torn]

Maybe D2D counts as part of EA store since it is effectively the download arm of EA?

Pretty sure the EA store has its own downloading service. It even offers you if you want to extend the 6 months you get to download it in to a further 2 years for £3.. something which D2D does not do.